Despite both teams ending the season in Dayton, Westerville North and Massillon Perry took very different paths to get there.

Westerville North entered Friday night on a 23-game win streak, having not lost since December 7th. Leading up to the game, the Warriors had outscored their opponents by an average of 39.4 points.

Perry came in as the perennial “underdog” of the tournament. After entering the first round as a 15-seed with a record of 9-13, the Panthers won five consecutive playoff games, including a win at the buzzer against Warren Harding.

Unfortunately for Perry, Westerville North’s explosive offense and relentless defense was too much to overcome, as the Warriors went on to win, 78-46.

Bringing The Pressure

Throughout the first quarter, Perry struggled to break the press defense.

Westerville North forced several early turnovers to open the game with a 10-0 lead, a lead that would only grow as the game went on.

Behind 17 combined points from Micah Young and Tony Cornett, as well as eight forced turnovers, the Warriors extended its advantage to 23-8 heading into the second quarter.

Westerville North Overcomes Foul Trouble

The second quarter didn’t go as smoothly as the first for Westerville North, but the Warriors still managed to extend its lead to 47-28 by halftime.

With Perry getting into the bonus very early in the quarter, the Panthers were able to pile on 20 points, making 11 free throws. The defense forced six turnovers as well, as they tried to get back in the game.

Westerville North saw its 19-point lead marginally shrink to 13, but a 6-0 half-ending run solidified a lead that would never shrink past that point.

The Warriors made nine of their 10 shots in the quarter, as Micah Young finished an impressive first half with 15 points and four assists.

Finishing A Dominant Run

The second half was much of the same, as Westerville North continued its dominance en route to a 78-46 win in the state title game.

The Warriors finished the season undefeated against Division II opponents, while beating every playoff opponent by at least 20 points.

The senior duo of Micah Young and Tai Perkins finished their high school careers by combining for 43 points in the victory, capturing the first state title for the program since 1994.

Team Leaders

Westerville North

Points – Micah Young (24)

Rebounds – Micah Young (8)

Assists – Tyson Perkins (5)

Massillon Perry

Points – Drake Jacobsen (13)

Rebounds – Luke Wolf (9)

Assists – Darnell McLeod (4)